A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

—AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 125will be as fresh and effectual to wash away the sins of thelast man that shall be called upon earth, as it was those ofthe penitent thief, wlio saw it with his bodily eyes gushingout of his blessed side upon the cross, or the first man whodid first savingly apprehend that first promise, "The seedof the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." Let him assurethem it is so sovereign, that in a truly broken, humbled,and thirsty soul, it turneth the most scarlet and crimson sinsinto snov^ and wool; that upon compunction and comingin, it washed away that horrible and bloody guilt from thesouls of them that spilt it (Acts ii). Let them know also,in how high a degree and heinously they offend from timeto time, who refuse to take Jesus Christ offered most freely,and without exception of any person, every sabbath, everysermon, either in plain and direct terms, or impliedly at theleast. Oh ! little do people think who sit under our ministryunwrought upon by the word, what a grievous and fearfulsin they commit and carry home from the house of God,day after day, in " neglecting so great salvation, in forsakingtheir own mercy, and in judging themselves unworthyof everlasting life ;" I mean, by choosing upon a free offerof his soul-saving blood, to cleave rather to a lust (horribleindignity!) than to Jesus Christ blessed for ever ; rather towallow in the mire and mud of earthly pelf, in the filth andfroth of swinish pleasures, in idleness, pride, worldliness,uncleanness, drunkenness, strange fashions, scorning professors,conteinpt of the power of godliness, railing againstreligion, revelling, Cxc. than abandoning these filthy harlotsto take the Son of God for their dear and everlasting husband.This not believing, this refusing Christ, this not taking himin the manner and sense as I have said, is such a sin, thoughnot so thought upon and taken to heart, that divines speakof it as of a most transcendent sin, the greatest sin, the sinof sins, the only sin, as it were, from such places as these :"But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth, and hesent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, andburnt up their city'' ( Matt, xxii, 7). He means those whowere invited to the " Son's marriage, and made light of it."" He that believeth not is condemned already, because hehath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son ofGod" (John iii, 18). When the Comforter is come "hewill convince the world of sin ; because they believe not onme." He means this sin alone, saith Austin. As though notbelieving on the Son of God were the only sin. It is indeedthe main and master sin, because, as the same father speakstruly, " this remaining, the guilt of all other sins abidesupon the soul : this removed, alJ other sins are remitted."M 3